World cultures celebrated at Community ESL Program event

The Community ESL Program continued its 20th anniversary celebration at a Sept. 18 fundraiser that highlighted cultures from around the world and raised more than $100,000 for its literacy initiative.

Held at The Lodge at Historic Lewes through Vantage Point Retirement Living, Around the World with ESL featured delicacies from the Caribbean, Latin America and Eastern Europe, as well as music, games and a live auction with items donated by Vantage Point employees.

At the event, Denise Kaczmarczyk chose to donate $50,000 to the program on behalf of her husband, John Johnson, and the Gwydyr Foundation.

“I saw a good cause in this organization, and I knew it was something we wanted to take on,” Kaczmarczyk.

In 2003, the congregation at Lutheran Church of Our Savior recognized the need for an English as a Second Language program to improve the educational and career opportunities for the area’s non-English speakers.

The ministry launched in January 2004 at the church and has since expanded from its original two teachers, a few church volunteers and 45 students. Now, 40 volunteer teachers work throughout Sussex County instructing 150 students per year from 30 different countries in curriculums for beginning to advanced English learners.

In addition to the Lutheran Church of our Savior, classes are held at Milford Public Library, online in partnership with Lewes Public Library, and at the program’s newest location at the Margaret H. Rollins School of Nursing at Beebe Healthcare.

With an annual budget of $60,000, the program is funded primarily through private donations and grants. Students pay an administrative fee of $25, and no students are denied admission due to inability to pay.

In January, ESL Program advisory board members announced the 20th anniversary fundraising campaign with an initial goal of $50,000. Before the public announcement, board members pledged $7,000 and the Lutheran Church of Our Savior donated $5,000.

Rita Stevens, the co-founder and vice president for operations of Vantage Point Retirement Living, is chairing the campaign, to which she made an initial contribution of $10,000. She also opened the doors of The Lodge at Historic Lewes to the fundraising event.

Donations are still being accepted. For more information, go to lcosrehoboth.org/esl-program.